Tag Archives: iphone

While several reputable Apple prognosticators, including both Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman and KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo, have predicted that we will see three new iPhone models in the Fall, now we have a price prediction that I think makes a lot of sense to go with them. Amit Daryanani, an analyst with RBC Capital, has made an interesting prediction about the new price points for the three devices that will replace the current iPhone X.

A few days ago, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy L. Huberty made an interesting prediction regarding Apple Services. While we have all been noticing the rise of this relatively new revenue source for Apple, and we also know that there is room for a massive growth, few have been willing to make any specific predictions about when that will happen and just how much it might be. This projection will likely be one of a growing number.

The most common recent complaint about Apple, especially among the tech media and Apple enthusiasts, tends to be a perceived lack of innovation in recent years. Much of this is based on the fact that Apple made huge strides in several core computing and mobile tech categories from the late 1990s to the 2010s under the leadership of Steve Jobs.

While it is true that Apple hasn’t an iPhone or iPad-level hit since Jobs’ passing, it isn’t as if the company is standing still. The Watch has become a nice slow-burn success story, the Mac is still selling strong, iPad sales are turning around, Apple now has a fast-growing Services business, and they are closing in on becoming the first company in the world with a trillion dollar valuation, as well. However, while all of that can’t be dismissed, the lack of a slam dunk product over the last 7 years, some high-profile struggles with software, and the current negative impressions of Siri feed this lack of innovation narrative.

The iPhone changed the way we look at cameras and photography forever. The convenience and capability killed the point and shoot camera, and made lens quality and photographic software improvements one of the most important aspects of all current smartphones. However, there remains one small drawback- smartphones aren’t built to hold like cameras.

The situation with Apple Watch apps got some unexpected attention this week thanks to articles from noted Apple enthusiasts Marco Arment and John Gruber. In my opinion, it is good to get people thinking and talking about this again, because apps often seem to be the forgotten aspect of Apple’s sleeper-hit wearable platform. However, while I am glad to see attention being paid to this subject, I disagree with both of these articles, especially Mr Gruber’s.

This is day four with my HomePod, and I think I have a pretty good feel for it at this point. We all know the basics- the sound is great, Siri is no so great. However, this is the point where users start coming across more of the details of a device, and the HomePod is no exception. Here are some more observations from the last couple of days of use.

[Update: The HomePod did NOT go on sale at 12 AM PST as most Apple news outlets and I expected, breaking the usual iOS-based device release mold. Apple didn’t shut down the online Apple Store last night and the HomePod still isn’t available for preorder. Apple has not made any official statement, but it has been mentioned by several people on Twitter that Apple does an automatic refresh of their website at 6:01 AM PST every day. It is now expected that the link to preorder the device will show up then, but who knows? It’s also possible that Apple is running a massive social engineering experiment to see how well it has conditioned its fans to get up at odd hours to preorder devices. If so, then based on the number of comments I saw on Twitter early this morning, I say well played, Apple. Well played.]

[Update 2: I was able to order the HomePod with launch day delivery. I’m not sure when exactly it hit the Apple Online Store for preorder, but I know it was before 8 AM CST because I checked while stopped in rush hour traffic on the way to work, and there it was. I completed my order around 8 AM CST, but it was released between 10 to 30 minutes before that I hope Apple avoids being this random with future preorders, but it is what it is.]

HomePod preorders begin in a little over four hours [nope], so if you live in the Eastern or Central Time Zones and are planning to get up super early, it might be a good idea to turn in early, or at least catch a nap if you can [a nap sounds somewhere between good and necessary today]. With this new hardware finally coming into clearer focus, now is a good time to recap some of the additional information that has come to light since the countdown to release started ticking earlier this week.

As a contractor, I can tell you that PDF documents are the industry standard in my world. You don’t have to fuss with security settings or worry about them being altered the same way that you do with a Word doc, or other editable document style. If I am sending a customer a quote, it’s going to be saved as a PDF. If I’m sending a scan of a hard copy of something- PDF. When I get blueprints and specifications for a job to look at for bidding- PFD. If I am sending out a final copy of a project submittal or owner’s manual- PDF. These documents were all created using something else, such as Word, Excel, AutoCAD, etc, but they all end up as PFDs in the end. As the full file name suggests, PDF is all about portability.

Time to start up Apple Slices, our series covering some of the wide variety of Apple news of the week, for 2018. We have more on the battery throttling story that just won’t go away, Apple making big commitments here in the US, the coming HomePod, and more. Time to eat!

As we close out 2017 and look forward to a new year just a handful of hours ahead, now is a great time to look back at the year that was. This was a VERY busy year for Apple, so rather than a completely exhaustive review, I’m just going to hit a few of the highlights with Apple’s hardware in 2017.